Unemployment has also risen – from 8.2% in the second quarter of 2015 to 23.1% in the third quarter of 2018. (Note: The methodology for calculating unemployment changed in 2014)

The number of unemployed Nigerians increased from 17.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 to about 20.9 million in the third quarter of 2018, when data is most recently available.

The underemployment rate has also soared to 20.1% or about 18.21 million of Nigerians in the labour force. The underemployed are those that work less than full time hours, which is 40 hours, but the unemployed work less than 20 hours on average a week or have no jobs. -Africa Check, February 2019

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